UPSC Prelims 2016 Question:

What is/are unique about ‘Kharai camel’, a breed found in India?

1. It is capable of swimming up to three kilometers in seawater. 
2. It survives by grazing on mangroves. 
3. It lives in the wild and cannot be domesticated.
   
   

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Explanation: 

• The Kharai are a rare breed of camel found in the salt marshes of Kutch district in the western state of Gujarat. These are a unique breed of camels that can swim. The camels swim long distances in the sea to reach its grazing areas, usually more than 3 km at a time even in deep waters. They are also known as dariyataru (meaning sea-swimmer). So, statement 1 is correct.
  
  

• They eat large volumes of mangroves or saline plant species. During the monsoon, the camels are often left on the mangrove islands for three months. However, Salt companies in the region are blocking tidal water and slowly drying up mangroves. And this is endangering the lives of the camels as well as their future. So, statement 2 is correct.
  
  
• Kharai Camel, probably the only domesticated animal species that lives in a dual eco-system. Kharai Camel is considered as the unique Eco-tonal species as they survive on dryland ecosystems as well as the coastal ecosystem. So, statement 3 is not correct.
  
  

Therefore, option (1) is the correct answer.

Relevance: India’s swimming camels are endangered by destruction of mangroves in Kutch.

Subject: Environment | Biodiversity and Conservation